5 things to know about political conventions

1. The Democratic National Convention was first held in May 1832. The first Republican National Convention took place in February 1856.

2. Chicago has hosted the most major-party conventions, with 25.

3. Who decides which party has the convention first? There is no formal rule, but it has been the practice since 1956 that the incumbent party holds its convention second (e.g., President Barack Obama is a Democrat, so the Dems hold their 2012 convention after the Republicans).

4. The purpose of the conventions is to formally select the party’s nominee for president and to set the party’s platform.